Epinephrine and cortisol responses to work: a test of the models of Frankenhaeuser and Karasek.

Both Frankenhaeuser and Karasek have put forward models describing how job demand and control influence epinephrine and cortisol levels. These models were tested in a sample of 53 women and 51 men in a variety of occupations. They were studied over one rest day and two working days. Subjects reported their perceived demand and control and their mood on each day, as well as providing urine for assessment of urinary excretion rates of epinephrine and cortisol. In men, but not women, epinephrine levels were higher on the working days than on the rest day, and demand was found to covary positively with epinephrine, supporting Frankenhaeuser's model with respect to epinephrine variation in men. However, cortisol levels were not elevated on working days compared to the rest day, and no relationship between job control and cortisol was seen which is in contradiction of Frankenhaeuser's model with respect to cortisol variation. There was some suggestion that demand was most strongly associated with elevated epinephrine in men when job control was low in accordance with Karasek's model, but there was no evidence for such an effect with respect to cortisol.

Catecholamine and cortisol levels in Oxford college rowers.

Urinary catecholamines and cortisol levels in two teams of Oxford college eight oarsmen were compared on three different day types: training days, racing days, and non-rowing days. Adrenaline and cortisol were raised on racing and training days compared to non-racing days. Noradrenaline was raised on training days, reflecting longer periods of physical exercise during training. There was evidence of a progressive lowering of adrenaline output over consecutive race days and that the outcome of the races had an effect on both adrenaline and cortisol. In addition to this there seemed to be differences in cortisol levels between the two teams of rowers on both racing days and non-rowing days.

Patterns of cortisol and adrenaline variation in Australian aboriginal communities of the Kimberley region.

Urinary cortisol and adrenaline excretion rates were measured in three Australian Aboriginal communities in the Kimberley region in the north-west of the country. The three communities, Derby, Kalumburu and Kupungarri, differ in size and remoteness and some lifestyle parameters. Cortisol excretion rate is associated with age and urine flow rate, but there is no association with smoking or the consumption of alcohol. All three communities show very high cortisol excretion rates compared to a sample of UK (Oxford) residents and there are also differences between the three communities. Adrenaline excretion rate also shows associations with age and urine flow rate, but not with smoking. Aboriginal people in the Kimberley region excrete adrenaline at a slightly higher rate than that found in Oxford, which itself is high by world standards. There are no marked differences between communities in their adrenaline excretion rates. Alcohol drinkers in Derby, where alcohol is freely available, have higher adrenaline output than non-drinkers.

Home-school differences in stress hormone levels in a group of Oxford primary schoolchildren.

Twenty-three girls and thirteen boys, aged between 4 and 9 years, gave urine samples which were measured by HPLC for adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol and cortisone on a school day and on a home day. Home levels of noradrenaline, cortisol and cortisone were consistently higher than school levels. Cortisol was positively correlated with adrenaline and noradrenaline at home, but not at school. These results may suggest that the school day represents a stimulating but comparatively structured environment with little negative affect, while the home day is characterised by stimulation but relative uncertainty in social interactions.

Some determinants of population variation in cortisol levels in a British urban community.

Urinary cortisol excretion rates were determined from three urine samples given over 2 days, a rest day and a working day, by 51 men and 50 women. Each subject also completed a questionnaire relating to life style factors and to perceived levels of stress, busyness and happiness on each day. In men, an association between raised cortisol and high levels of stress was found. In women, high levels of busyness were associated with low cortisol excretion rates. The subjective experiences measured accounted for around 10-20% of cortisol variation in this naturalistic setting.